Snow ice feeder and distributor



Aug. 17,1943. w. H. TAYLOR 2,327,226

SNOW ICE FEEDER AND DISTRIBUTOR Filed Jan. 5, 1942 Patented Aug. 17, 1943 2,327,226 SNOW 10E EEEDER AND DISTRIBUTOR W iam H- Taylo wa ks ha 0291mm Wig 7 'qiain s. i inv t on irelates generally t an im: o d. syst m of-i andl ng snow. or slush i and relates mo s ec fi a ly to improvements in the s u q and operation .of apparatus for ut i y transpo ing, Jd Wa i (and Joe: livering snow ice to a zone of utilization.

,An obje t o v he nve ti n is 300 p o id anew nd u e l n w ce feedi an distribution system wh ch {is s mpl in tru tureand h hly i i ntn o tion It is ex re ely desirable inm ny d s1i .1 .s, tougiliz e finely divided SIIISILQI SIIOW iQBJ-I ICIQL-r,

i e dr ondfiionandat oprede rm ned uni.- foi m rate in the form of qausp ray trayell-ing gt high velocity. While these uses are quite nue qus. pa tic ia l de irable to thus cleliver i i te rate "and partia ly de ydrated snowvige into a constantly advancing streampf conorete aggie affla such as oementand eanogo-r rave n ord in prod ce .fin pn r tre mix-V u vWhile tihe sam t m coolin the con ret maa Th ip ao i s Q11QW$ ar la l in arm dimaie Q i -heat d o a it eaa d it-is then also necessary to constantly produoe. t1qe ve awn! ing machine hee Wilihfill? ai Me ace-make a wn inim io patent o. aoajofiaaia'otedi i k ak 3 T111: emet c.

s nai rm --9 .-tl1e fi a mi tu it i necessary i0 rwidca t ma ic l un tioning 1 mehanim which i afla ie to r ce v L i-Ma i b a onet e o upl of a he ywetusms e from the e Producin machine. whichw lleeifeqtively m v exces .waie immi e adzane i e f d, a YJ LQ J-V i lv cc rat ly easuiteeand deliver the material in dieintegrated and, 1 1ni formly d st buted spra orm i i to the con: stanfiy l w n 351 1331 o c ncr te a re at n; most a aizhe a ar s mus a s madame ed t l- 1n h'hh -p i0per y prep red is ushwor.

snowice. in enonmous quantities and atva "rapid rate, so: as not to interfere with :or impair: the

rate-of pqu r ing of the concrete mixture, and; while prior attempts have been; madam ut liiae crushed ice for such purposes; these: haye' not e t l satisfact ry Q I ILII CIQ a use.

The present invention: therefore-al as for an object the-provision of an improved syste n ani apparatus; for continuously and most effeotiyely converting oasupply of relatively wee slush i qe; into a uniform. spray of relatiyelydryspqw ice 1 travelling at high direction.

speedand infla preqetennineq eno herwspen fi objec o -ihe presentdnvq tiqn is..l -,;p. ov .d l,an impm ado now; i eirqa w ystem which i RSQQQQHY wan ed .i r a-91 3 ation with an-ice i a fiinama 5 3 flfifih in my.-p .r-na m iin qxsie. R1" Ram fil 1i. mcoy uoed webmaehirxeeiar. l xq a .QQmPe E- R ia p xm efir lurihe ose cifie9W9; o ieeel i qn i i pn avisie i Y 19 ome. i i Q1. are $9 e5 aee na t seam Q JQ EPhBli RWhiQ i I imienmeairuei aa h lwfi i i in actual I b aikallwhahilie me iaaaa t effectively disintegratlng tages vlyviiI be tailiedxle soriptlon."

.clearflc dn ontion ,of; the s eyeral. ieatur es confi g the mi sem i ov en 1 imm il d 5Y .s i 'w i q -ifi ftlie dra'wing'lao- J a tof'this s cation "win; in like reference. characters designa' e a e-a e imian ar ii ih;

1 (i -r iae hei qi a eieaa i ai se a ad vrii il'o i r ged saw fe qt an erse yerqtieaiuseotion are goYQd} 's'jf o z .tifaneferitingfailo lye deiyatered ,foatohe'sioff the Lice' frlom'jthe I ter .oec gn being l t' 'kgn as cong'eaiegl 1C1.-

se and otlo ens pecifio .opieots and qvan- While the invention has been shown and described herein as being especially useful in connection with the dehydration, feeding and distribution of slush or snow ice, it is not my desire or intent to thereby unnecessarily restrict the scope or utility of the improvement which is also advantageously applicable for handling other material and for different specific uses. The terms slush and snow ice are therefore intended to include other substances having similar characteristics, and the terms concrete and granular aggregate are also to be given the broadest possible interpretation.

Referring to the drawing, the improved system shown in Fig. 1, comprises in general, an endless ice dewatering conveyor formed of a continuous interconnected series of laterally curved and ter may be mounted upon a shaft 33 which is rotatable in any convenient manner. The fixed scraper blade 52 which is also co-operable with the outer surfaces, of the successive curved slats 8 at the discharge bend of the conveyor 5, may be adjustably secured to the front wall of the drain trough 3G, and is preferably inclined so as to direct the dewatered ice !3 by gravity into the upwardly open bucket I4 The sc'oopor bucket I4 is pivotally suspended upon a stationarily mounted pivot shaft 36 and may be provided with elongated parallel slats 6 coacting with rotary sprockets l and providing an upper forwardly and upwardly inclined and advancing deck 8; means such as a spout S and pump (not shown) for depositing a stream it of relatively wet slush or snow ice upon the lower portion of the advancing deck 8; a rapidly revolving cutter l i rotatable about a horizontal axis and co-operating with the successive slats t to remove the caked ice therefrom; a stationary scraper blade l2 also cooperating with the advancing slats 6 to additionally remove ice particles and to direct the dewatered ice l3 downwardly; a pivot'ally suspended measuring and weighing trough or bucket l4 disposed beneath the directing blade i2 and being counterbalanced by an adjustable weight an annular casing it having its upper open end ll positioned for reception of the dry snow ice l3 from the delivery end it of the bucket Hi when the latter is tilted, and being provided at its lower portion with a downwardly enlarging or tapered section 18 having an adjustable peripheral outlet opening 26; and an ice disintegrating and throwingrotor 21 disposed centrally within the casing section 59 in alinement with the opening and having an annular series of peripheral vanes 22 and a lesser number of upstanding central ice disintegrating bladesdfi pointing up-' wardly into the tapered section id.

The ice-dewatering conveyor '5 is of special construction in order to quickly and effectively remove the excess water from the large quantities of slush ice which are constantly being deposited upon the upper'deck 8 and thesprockets l which are mounted upon sup-porting shafts 2 1 may be driven in any suitable manner and at any de- 7 sired speed, and are provided with peripheral teeth'25 adapted to coact with driving lugs26 formed on the curved slats 6. The slats 6 are loosely and articulably interconnected by means of hinges 2i, and are of such curvature that the successive slats provide approximately semicylindrical surfaces at the conveyor bends, and a series of drainage troughs or elongated hoppers 23 along the upper deck 8, The lower stretch 23 of the conveyor 5 is downwardly and rearwardly inclined, and is adapted'to advance along a drainage trough 3d the lower rear end of which communicates with a liquid discharge spout iii. The formation of the conveyor slats 6 is obviously such that relatively restricted drainage slots 32 are disposed therebetween at the stretches 8,

29, but these slots 32 are materially widened when the slats pass or advance around the bends.

The rotary cutter li may have two or more rapidly revolving blades which co-operate with the outer surfaces of the curved slats 6 as they advance around the delivery bend, and this cuta drain spout 35; and the counterbalance weight I5 is adjustable along a scale beam 3% secured to the bucket M and formed for coaction with a fixed stop 31.

Thethin tubular casing 58 within the lower end of which the rotor 2! is housed, has its lower tapered section l9 provided with an external supporting flange 3? formed for coaction with a lower closure plate 38, and the peripheral outlet opening 28 may be provided with an adjustable slotted slide 39' for varying the effective area of the discharge opening. The disintegrating and throwing rotor2i comprises a flat circular disk secured to a central supporting and driving shaft 40 which i journalled in the lower plate 38 and is adapted to be rotated at variable high speed and in either direction. The throwing vanes 22 coact with the fiat upper surface of the plate 38 and with the internal annular surface of the adjacent casing section it, so as to prevent ice accumulation upon these surfaces, and these vanes 22 are adapted to throw the disintegrated ice tangentially and outwardly through the opening 20 in the form of relatively uniform'and fine spray 4 l The upwardly extendingdisintegrating blades 23 which are mounted centrally upon the rotor disk and project into the tapered casing section It, revolve at relatively lower peripheral speed than the vanes 22 which are located farther from the rotor axis, and theseblades 23 form a boring and disintegrating spire along which the mass of snow ice is must proceed before reaching the vane 22; 7

'During normal operation of'the improved snow ice feeding, dewatering and distributing system, it is firstdesirablet'o properly adjust the setting of the blades I2, weight [5, and slide 39, and to regulate the speed of operatic-def the conveyor 5, cutter H, and of the rotor 2!; so as to produce the desired results. Slush ice may then be fed in the form of a stream ltupon the upper forwardly advancing deck 8 of the conveyor'5, and will be carried upwardly and forwardly en masse as shown, so that the free liquid may escape by gravity through the trough hoppers 2B and spaces 32 to the-trough 3i) and drain spout 3!. The dewatered ice [3 will eventually be carried around the discharge bend of the conveyor 5, where the bulk of the material will be removed'by the revolving cutter ll while the residual snow ice will be later removed by the scraper blade-i2. The ice thus constantly removed from the conveyor 5', will drop by gravity into the bucket l4 wherein the'remaining free liquid will escape fall directly upon the disintegrating spire or' blades 23 which are being revolved at high speed ,by the Tommi; and due to the tapered forma tion of 'th'elower casing section IS, most of the disintegrated snow ice will drop freely toward the rapidly'revolving peripheral rotor vanes 22, while the remainder will fall between the blades 23 and will ultimately be .thrown into the path of the vanes 22 by the'wider portions'of the blades. As the disintegrated ice enters the path of the vanes 22, it is thrownviolentlyoutwardly and soon escapes through the outlet opening 20, tangentially and in'the-form of a uniform fan shaped Spray '4! which maybe mixed with concrete aggregate such as cementand sand or gravel, or otherwise utilized as desired, This delivery of ice spray AI will be continuous if the mechanism is properly initially set or adjusted, and providing the supply stream I9 continues, and the spray 4! will be devoid of excess free liquid when discharged from the opening '20.

From the foregoing detailed description of the construction and operation of the improved system, it'will be apparent that my present inven: tion provides simple and highly efficient automatically functioning apparatus for converting relatively wet slush ice into a uniform continuous and relatively fine spray of snow'ice. The improved conveyor 5 is especially adapted to handle slush ice having considerable excess water therein, and the improved batch transferring bucket [4 may readily be adjusted so as to vary the mass and the frequency of the successiv batches of snow ice l3. The tiltable weighing bucket l4 obviously constitutes a uniform batch feed device for insuring proper delivery of relatively dry snow ice to the disintegrator at all times. This transfer bucket can obviously be provided with counter mechanism for recording the quantity of ice passing through the system, and the improved disintegratin and throwing rotor will efiectively deliver the relatively dry snow ice received from the transfer bucket, regardless of the rate of supply of this material. The rotor construction is such that'the snow ice cannot pack within the tubular casing I6, and the lower section IQ of this casing is so formed that the disintegrated ice will not lodge thereon and will fall freely into the path of the rapidly revolving vanes 22. These vanes 22 quickly deliver the disintegrated ice through the peripheral discharge opening 28, and by varying the size of this opening by adjustment of the slide 39, the shape and dimensions of the spray 4| can be varied to suit different conditions of use. The rotor 2i may also be revolved in either direction depending upon the desired direction of delivery, and the improved system is obviously simple and functions automatically after being properly adjusted and placed in operation. The apparatus can also be manufactured and operated at moderate cost, and has proven highly satisfactory and successful in actual use.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact details of construction or to the precise mode of use herein shown and described, for Various modifications within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim: 1. In combination, an endless slat conveyo having an upper deck provided with a series of drainage hoppers and a semi-cylindrical delivery end adjoining said deck, means for constantly depositing a stream of relatively wet slush ice upon said deck remote'from said delivery end, means coacting with said delivery end to constantly remove dehydrated snow ice therefrom, a casing formed to receive the snow ice'from said formed to initially disintegrate the snow ice and to thereafter, deliver the same from the casing in the form of a uniform spray of finely divided dry snow ice.

2. In combination, an endless slat conveyor having an upper deck provided with a series of drainage :hoppers and a'semi-cylindrical delivery end adjoining said deck, means for constantly depositing a streamof relatively wetslush ice upon said deck remote from said delivery end, means coacting with said delivery end toconstantly remove dehydrated snow ice. therefrom, a casing formed to receive the snow ice from said conveyor, a uniform batch feed device disposed beneath said conveyor delivery end and above said casing for automatically delivering successive measured batches of snow ice from the conveyor to the casing, and a rotor in said casing formed to initially disintegrate the snow ice and to thereafter deliver the same from the casing in the form of a uniform spray of finely divided snow ice.

3. In combination, an endless slat conveyor having an upper deck provided with a series of drainage hoppers and a semi-cylindrical delivery end adjoining said deck, means for constantly depositing a stream of relatively wet slush ice upon said deck remote from said delivery end, means coacting with said delivery end to constantly remove dehydrated snow ice therefrom, a casing formed to receive the snow ice from said conveyor, a uniform batch feed device disposed beneath said conveyor delivery end and above said casing for automatically delivering successive measured batches of snow ice from the con- .veyor to the casing, and a rapidly rotating element in said casing formed to disintegrate the snow ice and to deliver the same from the casing in the form of a uniform spray.

4. In combination, an endless slat conveyo having an upper deck provided with a succession of convexly curved imperforate slats forming a series of drainage hoppers and a smooth semicylindrical delivery end adjoining said deck, means for constantly depositing a stream of relatively wet slush ice upon said deck remote from said delivery end, a revolving cutter coacting with said smooth delivery end to constantly chip dehydrated snow ice therefrom, a casing formed to receive the snow ice from said conveyor, a uniform batch feed device disposed beneath said conveyor delivery end and above said casing for automatically delivering successive measured batches of snow ice by gravity from the conveyor to the casing, and rotary means in said casing formed to initially disintegrate the snow ice and to thereafter deliver the same from the casing in the form of a uniform spray of finely divided dry snow ice.

5. In combination, an endless slat conveyor having an upper upwardly inclined deck provided with a series of drainage hoppers and a semicylindrical delivery end adjoining said deck, means for constantly depositing a stream of relatively wet slush ice upon said deck remote from said delivery end, means coacting with said delivery end to constantly remove dehydrated snow ice therefrom, an upright tubular casing formed to receive the snow ice from saidconveyor, a uniform batch feed device disposed beneath said conveyor delivery end and above said casing for automatically delivering successive measured batches of snow ice from the conveyor to the upper open end of said casing, and a rotor in the lower end of said casing formed to initially disintegrate the snow ice and to thereafter deliver the same from the lower porti'o'n'of the casing in. the form of a uniform spray of finely divided dry snow ice.

6. In combination, an endlessislat conveyor having an upper upwardly inclined deck provided with a succession of convexly curved imperforate slats forming a'series of drainage hoppers and a smooth semi-cylindrical delivery end adjoining the uppermost end of said deck, means for constantly depositing a stream of relatively wet slush ice 'upon the lower end of said deck remote from said delivery end, a revolving cutter coacting with said smooth delivery end to constantly remove dehydrated snow ice therefrom, an upright tubular casing formed to receive the snow ice from said conveyor, a tiltable Weighing bucket disposed beneath said'conveyor delivery end and above said casing for automatically delivering successive measured batches of snow ice from the conveyor to the upper open end of said casing, and a rotor in the lower end of said casing formed to initially disintegrate the snow ice and to thereafter deliver the same from the lowor portion of the casing in the form of a uniform spray of finely divided'dry snow ice.

7 In combination, an endless slat conveyor having an upper deck provided with a series of drainage hoppers and a semi-cylindrical delivery end adjoining said deck, means for constantly depositing a stream of relatively wet slush ice upon said deck remotevfrom said delivery end; means coacting with'said delivery end to constantly remove dehydrated ice therefrom, an upright tubular casing having a constricted medial portion and being formed to receive the snow ice from said conveyor, a uniform batch feed device disposed beneath said conveyor delivery end and above said casing for automatically delivering successive measured batches of snow ice by gravity from the conveyor to the upper end of said casing above the casing constriction, and a rotor in the lower end of said casing below the constriction therein formed to initially disintegrate the snow ice and to thereafter deliver the same from the casing in the form of finely divided dry snow WILLIAM H. TAYLOR. 

